New Zealand PM breaks silence on gay marriage
US President Barack Obama's support for same-sex marriage has drawn New Zealand Prime Minister John Key to break his silence on the issue and declare he is also not opposed to gay marriage. However, Key said in a statement on Friday the issue is not on his government's agenda. "I am not personally opposed to gay marriage," he said. "It is possible that parliament may consider a memberâs bill at some stage, but it is not on the governmentâs agenda." When Key was pressed on the issue of gay marriage before the general election last November he fudged his reply saying the government did not see a change as a priority. New Zealand currently allows same-sex civil unions which enjoy the same rights and obligations as a marriage involving opposite-sex couples. However, many in the gay community say they want "marriage equality" and anything other than a marriage is less than equal.
